Queen of Wolves
by WifeofRiverSong
Summary: At the insistence of her dearest friend Gandalf, Leila agrees to join the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. She expects to be attacked because of what she is, as she has been in the past. What she doesn't expect is to find friends and even a family in this ragtag group of misfits and she most certainly doesn't expect to fall in love. Eventual Thorin/OC, slowburn.
1. Prologue

A long time ago, in a land known as Middle Earth, many races lived amongst one another. There were three that almost everyone knew of: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Then, there were the lesser known ones, such as hobbits and shapeshifters. These people were not always peaceful to one another, but they could work together against a common enemy if need be. One such enemy came during the First Age, bearing a name that could send shivers down the spine of even the most battle-hardened warrior. This _thing_, for he could not even be called a person due to the darkness that was his soul, was Morgoth. He nearly destroyed Middle Earth with his foul creations, but I shall get into that later. For now, I wish to speak about one of the races I mentioned, which just so happens to be mine.

There are two classes of shapeshifters, although they are so different that most consider them two separate races. One is a descendant of Man, with the ability to change their skin into that of a bear. They are known as Beornings. The other is a much older race, known as the Ráca Nórë. In the Common Tongue, this simply translates to "Wolf People." It is quite an accurate name because of the fact that the Ráca Nórë, my people, shapeshift into the form of large wolves.

Many, many years ago, after the creation of the Dwarves by Aulë's hands, Yavanna began to fear that they would destroy the trees of Middle Earth, her precious creations. Taking pity on her, Eru created the Ents, sentient tree-like beings. However, a major flaw of the Ents is their unwillingness to act. They will spend weeks upon weeks talking about a problem without doing anything to fix it. They stood by and did nothing as the forests were destroyed in order for Men, Dwarves, and Elves alike to build their homes. Once again, Yavanna stood before Eru and begged for a protector of her creations, but he refused. Seeing no other choice, she met with Oromë in secret and together they created the Ráca Nórë, a race of creatures that could shift forms between a Man and a wolf. This species was not nearly as strong nor as large as the Ents, but they were much more willing to fight and defend their forests than their brethren were. For nearly a thousand years, that is what we did. We protected the trees from Dwarves, Elves, and Men, and, later on during the rise of Morgoth and his servant Sauron, from orcs and other foul beings.

That all changed in the year 456 of the First Age. Sauron had captured the Elvish isle of Tol Sirion and had plans to make it the home of terrible creatures known as Werewolves. To do this, he captured hundreds of Ráca Nórë to twist into his disgusting creatures, just as Morgoth had done with the creation of orcs. Most were able to escape the fate that our kin faced. But of those who did, even fewer survived the War of Wrath.

Our packs were broken and small, our numbers mere shadows of the prosperity we once had. We never quite recovered from our losses. Fortunately, we still had the Ents and Huorns as allies. Together, we protected one another. We would protect them from stray orcs or goblins or other minor creatures. They, in turn, would help us fight against trolls or giants or, Yavanna forbid, a fire drake. It was a mutual relationship that lasted for millenia, protecting the Ents and my people from the evil that grew in the world. There was peace in my old forest, even while the world raged and burned around us.

But as everyone knows, peace can only last for so long, especially when one tries to force it upon themselves.

* * *

A/N

To anyone who reads Unwanted Wishes, I am very sorry. I am almost done with it but I had to get this out there. My muse was very insistent. If you haven't read it and you like Doctor Who and Doctor/OC, check it out!

If you couldn't tell from the comment above, I am not very good with updating regularly. I will be posting the first chapter but don't expect anything new anytime soon after that. I hope you enjoy though! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and ask them and please let me know if there are any mistakes!


	2. Troublesome Wizards

**Sylvan (language of the animals)**

* * *

April 4 TA 2941

"**Leila! Leila!**"

"**Yes, little one?**"

"**Will you tell us a story?**"

I heard a groan to my right. I glanced at Nova, the wolf I had previously been speaking to and the one who had made the noise. We were just about to head out on a hunt with some others, but it seemed the two puppies, who really should have still been in the den with their mother, had other ideas.

Before I could even open my mouth, she began talking. "**Stay. We'll be fine without you for one hunt."**

"**Are you sure? We're already down one wolf with Talya resting from childbirth. You could use all the help you can get.**" I always hated not being with my pack on hunts. It made me overly nervous, especially with the increase in orc sightings as of late.

"**I am. Besides, we both know you can never say no to pups.**" Yavannah, she knew me too well. They were just so adorable, especially when they started pouting and fake crying. Damn, I really needed to grow a backbone.

As if on cue, the two little brats by my side started giving me their best puppy dog eyes, as we liked to call them. It worked like a charm and I felt all of my initial resolve wear away. These two were going to be the death of me.

I let out a long suffering sigh, which instantly caused the pups to cheer in victory. I turned back to Nova, resigned to my fate. "**Alright, but promise that you'll keep everyone safe. And no risks! I don't want to lose anyone 'cause they thought they could take down the biggest deer by themself.**" I didn't mention a name, but we both knew I was talking about the time I left Weylyn in charge of a hunt and he decided that he was going to take down the herd leader. He broke his leg and almost got his mate, Talya, killed. Let's just say that was the first and last time he lead a hunt. "**Make sure to bring Quinn with you as well.**"

"**Do you think that's a good idea? There's been a noticeable increase in orc activity lately. It would be wise to have a guard,**" Nova said, a touch of worry lacing her voice.

"**I am well aware, Nova. I can take care of myself just fine.**"

"**Of course Leila, but with Talya and the pups-**"

"**That wasn't a request,**" I said, an authoritative tone overtaking my usually calm voice.

"**Yes, Alpha,**" she said with a dramatic bow. She turned around and began walking off before I could make a sarcastic retort in return, so I just settled for rolling my eyes at her retreating form.

Deciding to ignore the wolf and her taunts, I turned back to the pups waiting expectantly at my feet. "**Now, what story would you two like to listen to today?**"

"**Will you tell us about the fall of Erebor?**" Kai asked, a pleading look on his face.

Flashes of fire and screams danced through my mind before I quickly banished them, not allowing myself to dwell on awful memories. It was bad enough that they haunted my dreams, I didn't need them terrorizing my waking hours. "**Maybe another time, little one.**"

"**But last time you promised us that you would tell us this time,**" Rowan whined, disappointment clear in the sound of his voice.

I cursed under my breath. They weren't supposed to remember that. So they can remember a promise from days ago but they can't remember when nap time is? Bloody pups.

I sighed before letting out the words that would surely give me even worse nightmares that night. "**Very well. But don't tell your mother! She'd have the rest of my tail if she heard me telling you this.**" They both vigorously nodded their heads, their little bodies shaking with excitement. I settled down on the soft ground, the pups almost falling down in their hurry to join me. I rolled my eyes at their antics before clearing my throat.

"**A long time ago, in a faraway land known as Erebor, there ruled a Dwarven King by the name of Thrór. He was a just and mighty king, but just like any other dwarf, he cherished jewels and precious metals. This cherishment pushed his dwarven miners to dig and dig into the depths of the mountain, searching for treasure. After many years, they stumbled upon a jewel that was unlike any other. It was said to be the most beautiful gem that the king had ever laid eyes on. They called it the Arkenstone, or the king's jewel. Thrór saw it as a sign from Aulë that it was his divine right to rule the dwarven race. But this beauty held a curse.**

"**As I said before, dwarves are known for their love of treasure and riches, but Thrór's love grew into a greedy desire that turned into a fierce need. He became obsessed with his riches, his gold and jewels. He would spend days on end lusting over the vast hoards of treasure in the mountain, not eating or drinking, not speaking with his subjects, or seeing his family. This utter infatuation of his became known as the gold sickness.**

"**While the dwarves' wealth grew, so did the attention they brought upon themselves. For you see, a great dragon by the name of Smaug started to become aware of the riches in Erebor and decided that he wanted them for himself. And when a dragon wants something, it is nigh impossible to keep it from them.**

"**Smaug began by attacking Dale, the nearby city of Men. He laid low their towers and houses, burned their weapons, killed their people without mercy or care; men, women, and children succumbed to their deaths that day. Only one person stood against this awful beast, the lord of the city, Girion. He climbed to the top of the armory where there rested a windlance ballistae with its set of black arrows. Arrow after arrow he let loose, all missing their mark except for one. It chipped off one of the scales from the left side of the dragon's chest, right above his heart. But before Girion could fire another arrow to pierce the flesh, the tower, and the lord of Dale along with it, was destroyed.**

"**With the city of Men in ruins and the threat to him destroyed, Smaug turned his eye towards the mountain that held his riches. A shadow fell over Erebor, signaling his arrival. He brought with him splintered trees and a burning breeze. He knocked down the large, expertly crafted dwarven gate, as if it was nothing more than a twig in his way. With a flick of his limbs, heavily armored dwarves were thrown aside like flies. Others were crushed under his massive weight. He traveled towards the treasure vault, burning pillars, crushing statues, destroying anything or anyone that got in his way.**

"**And that was where he found King Thrór, collecting as much gold as he could carry. In the dwarf's rush to escape, he dropped it all, including the precious Arkenstone. He rushed forward, willing to face the wrath of a dragon to retrieve it, a true testimony to the state of his mind, but he was pulled away and out of the mountain by his eldest grandson, Thorin. They, along with Thrór's son, Thráin II, and many of their people, escaped from the mountain with only the clothes on their backs. But when they asked King Thranduil of the Woodland Elves, their ally of many years, for aid, he refused and left them, starving and freezing, to wander across Middle Earth in search of a new home.**" I let out a long breath, my heart aching and my mind racing from the memories of that dreadful day.

The pups eyes and mouths were wide open, a flurry of emotions racing across their face. "**How could he do that?! Why didn't he help them?**" Kai cried, angry at the injustice. I wasn't surprised; Talya was raising her pups well, after all.

"**Thranduil was afraid. He did not want to risk facing the wrath of Smaug to help people that were not his own.**" It had been many years since the fall of Erebor, but I too was angry at Thranduil. I was and still am just as afraid of dragons as him, especially that one, but I still helped the dwarves as much as I could, more than I needed to, more than even my father would expect of me. Thranduil was a coward who didn't care about lost lives if they weren't his own people's. I took a calming breath, not wanting to show the pups just how angry I was. It would be unfair to inadvertently take it out on them when they were too young to understand that this was a sore topic.

"**Were you there?**" Rowan asked, curiosity and a little bit of wonder in his voice.

Before I could answer, Kai beat me to the punch with his own input. "**Of course not Ro. Smaug would be dead if Leila had been there.**" It was times like this where I really understood just how innocent and naive they were, not knowing anything of the world outside of their home. They didn't understand how terrible it was, with orcs and goblins and dragons. To them, it was just a story where one single person can defeat a dragon all by herself. I wished that was the case, I really did. Maybe my family would still be alive if that was the case. I quickly banished the thought before it could infect my already troubled mind.

"**Dragons are not something to laugh at Kai. They're extremely strong and deadly, not a creature you can fight on your own.**" Before I could continue, I was interrupted by a cough clearly meant to get my attention. I looked behind me to find Quinn standing there.

"**Quinn? What are you doing here? I told Nova to take you with her to hunt.**" My voice portraying my confusion and slight anger as I began to realize what might have happened.

She shifted around, smelling of embarrassment, which was all the answer I needed but I listened anyway. "**Well, um, about that. She might have told me to stay behind to keep watch.**"

"**Against my orders.**" It wasn't a question, but Quinn felt the need to answer anyway.

"**Yes, Alpha.**" At least she had the sense to look ashamed, which I had a feeling would not be the case for Nova. She always was the most stubborn of the pack, apart from me that was.

I sighed, disappointed but not surprised. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened and it probably wouldn't be the last. "**We'll talk about this when Nova returns. For now, what is it you interrupted me for?**"

She perked up, obviously happy to have a change of conversation, probably trying to forget her oncoming punishment. "**There's a Man in the woods.**"

"**A Man?**" It had been a long time since anyone was in these woods, let alone a Man. We were quite a ways away from Rohan and most people didn't come this far into Fangorn because of the legend of a ginormous black wolf that would tear you apart. I was pretty sure it was about me, but I can assure you that I never ripped anyone apart, well, not completely.

"**Yes. He's tall, pretty old, wrinkly with silver hair and a long silver beard. He was wearing a grey cloak and hat and was holding a wooden stick.**"

My ears immediately perked up. I knew that description. I had seen the man enough times to recognize it. It was Gandalf. He was alive.

"**It's Gandalf,**" I said, allowing a smile to grace my features. It had been such a long time since I had last seen him and I had sorely missed one of my dearest friends.

"**Gandalf?**" Quinn breathed out. I wasn't surprised she hadn't recognized him. She was a fairly young wolf, after all, and it had been quite a while since I had seen Gandalf.

"**Yes. Quinn, will you keep an eye on the pups while I go speak with our guest?**" She quickly nodded.

I quickly said goodbye to the pups, giving them each a quick lick to the ear, who were surprisingly silent about my sudden departure. I bumped foreheads in farewell with Quinn, before departing into the woods.

* * *

Between my excitement and natural speed, it didn't take long for me to catch up to Gandalf. I found him sitting on a fallen log, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. Knowing him, that was as far from the truth as you could possibly get. I didn't bother quieting my footsteps as I had no intention of sneaking up on him. He straightened his back, an indication that he heard my approach, but he made no move to turn around.

"It is quite rude to sneak up on people, my dear."

I shifted into a woman, which would allow me to speak Common much more easily. "It is even more rude to come into someone's house unannounced. You're lucky it was Quinn on guard duty, some of the others have not taken to doing what I say when it comes to strange visitors."

He turned, unsurprised and uncaring of my naked form, a smile on his face. "I have missed you too, my dear."

Gandalf stood up and walked towards me, hugging me very tightly. It felt so good to be in his embrace, as if all my cares and worries were far away and I could just relax now. I breathed in his scent, not even realizing until now that I had forgotten it after all these years.

We pulled away after a few moments, both of us happy at the sight of the other, but I could sense there was something on Gandaf's mind. He seemed distracted, preoccupied with his thoughts, although that wasn't unusual for him.

"Is this why you're here Gandalf? To simply see an old friend?" I questioned, certain I already knew the answer. He rarely did anything with only one purpose in mind.

"Yes and no." He sat back down on the log he had previously occupied and took a puff from the pipe that suddenly appeared in his hand, not offering any sort of explanation. Not that I expected anything else from the wizard.

"It is never a simple answer with you, Gandalf. You always have ulterior motives." I teased, shaking my head at the man in mock disappointment.

"Just because I have other motives does not mean that they are ulterior. I truly did wish to come see you, my dear friend. I have sorely missed your company and confidence in these last few years." I smiled, but waited for the rest of it or, as the Men would say, the other shoe to drop. "But, while I am here, there is something I wish to speak with you about." And there it was.

"Considering your reluctance, I am assuming it is something I will not wish to hear."

He sighed, visibly preparing himself to tell me whatever it is he came all the way here to say. "I recently attended a meeting with Thorin Oakenshield in Bree. We-"

"Thorin Oakenshield?" I cut him off. "The king of the dwarves? Why would you be having a meeting with him?" I asked suspiciously, not liking where this conversation was going.

Suddenly a thought came over me that caused a shiver down my spine. He wouldn't do that, not after what happened to me. Or would he? It is Gandalf, after all. I dreaded the answer I would get, but I had to know.

With a soft voice, I whispered "have you come to ask me to help him Gandalf?"

His refusal to look me in the eyes was answer enough. Anger swelled inside of me, but instead of the fiery ferocity I usually felt, it was nothing but cold rage, like ice piercing my heart and getting stuck in my throat, restricting my voice. I stood up and began to walk away, not wanting to be around the man who was supposedly my friend. How dare he come into my home after years of being away and ask me to help a dwarf?! I felt phantom pains in my tail as the memories began to surge through my head.

"He wishes to take back Erebor."

Those six words were all it took to make me stop in my tracks. My nightmarish memories of that night horribile overlapped with the memories of my injury and it took all of my strength to not sink to the ground.

I turned to him, unable to keep the stray tear from escaping. "It is impossible, nothing but a fool's errand. Even with an army of dwarves, Erebor cannot be saved. It is lost."

"That is why we are not taking an army, my dear."

I took a few moments to gather my composure before allowing myself to face him once more. "What are you planning, old man?"

"Perhaps we should speak somewhere more private, maybe even with a cup of tea."

I rolled my eyes at the blatant request before turning and walking away, assuming he would follow. He chuckled before doing exactly that.

* * *

We arrived in the little section of the forest that I shaped into my home many decades ago. I considered the entire forest my home, but this area even moreso. It started as a single hollow for myself, somewhere to stay out of the harsh elements of the forest. But when I created my pack, I realized I needed more than that, that _we _needed more than that. So I spread my home to encompass enough room for an area to dry food for storing and sleeping spaces for my family, eventually even including a nursery when it was discovered that we would be expecting pups. It has grown to be much more than I could have ever thought, or even hoped it would be.

Quinn, Talya, and the pups were nowhere to be found. Their scents were fresh so they were still here, so I could only assume that they must have been hiding to give me and Gandalf some privacy. It was quite remarkable that Talya was able to keep the pups from pouncing on us. After all, they were always so excited about anything even remotely interesting and what's more interesting than a Man, a creature that they have never seen before and only heard about in the stories I tell them?

I lead Gandalf to my den, separate from the rest of the pack's sleeping quarters to give myself some privacy but close enough that I could easily be alerted in case of an emergency. I sat on my bed, which was little more than a pile of wool and soft moss, but it was much more comfortable than the rock floor, and Gandalf sat on the chair that I had bought from a nearby town specifically for him. Despite my best efforts, its age was beginning to show. It seemed as if it might be time for me to buy a new one.

Gandalf's voice shook me from my thoughts. "It is a lot more empty than I expected it to be. Is there a hunting party out?"

"You don't have to make small talk, Gandalf. It was never your strong suit." I smiled at him to show that I was teasing, despite the fact that the words were true nonetheless. "So, what is this elaborate plan of yours to retake a kingdom from a dragon without an army?"

Gandalf looked sheepish for a second before the moment quickly passed. It could have been my imagination, but I highly doubt it. "Yes, well, about that. My previous statement may have been misleading."

I snorted, not surprised by his little act of manipulation. That was just like Gandalf. He glared at me before continuing. "There will eventually be an army involved, of course, but not with what it is I wish to ask of you."

"Which is what, exactly?" It was always best to get straight to the point with Gandalf, otherwise we would be here all day debating what he says versus what he means.

"The plan is to take a small group of dwarves to Erebor, find a passage into the mountain, and reclaim the Arkenstone. With that, Thorin can summon the dwarven families and mount an attack against the dragon." He made it sound as if it was as easy as taking a stroll through the woods.

"Gandalf. I have known you long enough to know that you are no fool, but what you are planning, it is madness. Even more so than simply charging the gates and hoping the dragon is dead. It is enough to make me wonder if these long years you have spent on Arda have begun to affect your mind."

"I am in possession of all my wits, thank you very much," he said, more than a little snappish at the suggestion. "This is simply the only course of action. Without the Arkenstone, Thorin could not possibly gather enough dwarves to defeat the dragon. It is our only hope and even that hope is not as much as I would like it to be."

"Why is this so important Gandalf? What is it you are not telling me?" I paused, a sudden dreadful thought popping into my mind unbidden. "Does this have something to do with Dol Guldur? What did you find there?" I said softly, not wanting to bring up the subject. Even though I did not know what was there, it was not difficult to assume it was something awful. Anyone with any connection to Arda, no matter how faint, could feel the darkness coming into the world.

He sighed deeply, clearly not wanting to speak about it either. "You know me too well, my dear," he said with a slight chuckle in his voice. He looked into my eyes and I was startled to find fear in them. What could he have possibly found that would cause Olorin, the great and powerful maiar of Manwe, to be afraid? My insides ran cold at the thought.

"He has returned, Leila. The Enemy has returned to Middle Earth. He has not yet taken physical form, thank the Valar. But he is growing in strength."

I felt the breath leave my lungs and my heart dropped to my stomach, as if I had fallen out of the tallest tree I could find. Whatever possibilities had been streaming through my head did not come anywhere near to the horror of what he just said. I wanted to scream and cry and call him a liar but I knew in my heart that he was telling the truth. He would not lie about such a thing.

"Is he what is poisoning the Greenwood? Poisoning Radagast's creatures?" I whispered, unable to say the words any louder despite the fact that I knew no one could hear us here. No spies could enter my forest without me knowing.

"Yes. And I fear that he will look towards Smaug as a potential ally. Perhaps he already has and is making plans as we speak."

"That is why you wish for the dwarves to reclaim Erebor." The realization dawned on me, his hasty actions becoming as clear as day. That did not make his plan any less impossible, however, but I now understood the need for impossible plans.

"Yes. And it will surely make an excellent stronghold for when war eventually breaks out."

"When?" I couldn't keep the word from slipping out of my mouth, despite the fact that I knew that Gandalf was right. He was always right, as much as it infuriated me.

"Yes, my dear. There will be a war. When, I do not know, but it will come. I am sure of it."

I sighed, already knowing I would come to regret this. "Tell me more about this quest you're planning."

* * *

After explaining this so-called plan of his, which was really more like simple hopes and dreams, I agreed to meet with him in the Shire in three weeks time and go on this fool's quest of his, despite my better judgement.

With that all sorted, Gandalf made it clear that he had to leave in order to be on time for some meeting. He was always vague with the details. I let him get away with it this time, only because I was very tired from the long, mentally exhausting day I had had, despite it being barely midday. I did, however, insist that he meet my pack first; well, those who were here, that is.

"Talya, Quinn, Kai, Rowan, come here please. There's someone I'd like you to meet," I hollered out into the clearing, listening for the sound of running wolves. I didn't have to wait for long.

No more than mere seconds after I had called their names, the pups came running into my den as if they were being chased. They practically launched themselves at Gandalf, much to his amusement and their mother's embarrassment. Watching him laugh like that, it made me feel as if it had been a long time since he had done so. It was as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders, if only for a moment. If anyone deserved that brief respite, it was Gandalf.

"Gandalf, I'd like you to meet Quinn, Talya, Kai, and Rowan. Although, it seems the latter two have already made your acquaintance," I said with a chuckle. The pups had yet to leave his side, constantly sniffing him from as many angles as they could, even trying to lick him at one point before their mother quickly stepped in and dragged them away slightly.

"And this is Gandalf, my oldest friend."

"Does that mean he's the oldest friend you have or that he's been your friend for the longest?" Rowan asked, his head tilted in the cutest way possible. I couldn't help myself, the laughter simply erupted from my chest and refused to be quelled, which earned me quite the glare from Gandalf. And poor Talya looked as if she wanted to sink into the ground and be swallowed by it.

I managed to gather myself enough to say, "both," before beginning to laugh all over again. I could somewhat hear Gandalf, Quinn, and Talya speaking, although I couldn't make out what it was exactly over the cacophony of my own glee. I quickly settled down and by then it was time for Gandalf to leave.

We quickly made our goodbyes, with me promising once more to meet him in the Shire at the agreed upon time, much to the confusion of the nearby wolves. That's right, I hadn't told them yet. That would be fun.

* * *

Despite the four wolves' insistence and the strongest of puppy dog eyes from Kai and Rowan, I remained resolved to keep my mouth shut until the rest of the pack returned from the hunt. It would be much easier to tell them all at once and get it over with right then and there.

Unfortunately, the hunt lasted longer than I thought it would. They had been gone for over a week when I had only expected them to be gone a few days, five or six at most. I was beginning to grow worried and our food stores were becoming more and more depleted. On top of that, my very thin resolve was being weakened every day by the pups best efforts to make me crack. The scents of the returning wolves and fresh meat came just in time.

Quinn and I met them halfway so as to help them carry their kills back to camp. They had managed to take down two young fawns, at the same time going off of the similarity in freshness. That was extremely impressive. They had also managed to catch an assortment of hares and squirrels, although I was sure they had caught even more since they would have had to eat some during the hunt. I was very proud that they had managed to do so well without me and it made me certain that they would all be okay without me in the coming months.

I shifted into a woman so that I could easily carry one of the fawns rather than drag it along the ground. This would also free my mouth for talking. "So I take it the hunt went well. No trouble?"

"None at all. We caught a few whiffs of orcs here and there when we were downwind, but we never ran into them or saw any sign of them," Nora answered for Nova, since the honorary hunting party leader had her mouth closed around the neck of the other fawn.

"Good, that's good." I dearly hoped that that meant that the orc sightings were decreasing, but I doubted that we would be that lucky, especially considering what Gandalf had told me. If he was right, and I knew he was, then the increase in orcs was only the beginning of the hardships to come. But that was not something I wished to focus on at the moment. No, the rest of my pack was home, we would feast tonight, and I would tell them of my departure and absence.

We quickly brought the food back home and I shifted back into a wolf, the form I was more comfortable with, especially around my pack, although they didn't mind which one I was in. After some quick greetings, we gathered around and gorged ourselves on deliciously fresh venison meat. It was a decadent delight after eating nothing but dried meat and wild vegetation. We completely devoured one of the fawns and about half of the other. The rest and the rodents I would prepare later so that they could be dried and stored.

With full stomachs and bloody maws, everyone was content and I was loathe to disturb them, but I had promised that I would explain what was happening when everyone was home and I never break a promise. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat to get their attention. "Something has come up and I will be leaving Fangorn in two days time. I do not know exactly when I will return but I promise it will be no later than the winter solstice."

There was a moment of silence before the eight wolves around me erupted into a flurry of questions and shouting and demands for exclamations. I could hardly hear myself think, let alone discern one thing from another. I raised my voice above the noise to call for silence.

"I know it is very sudden and for that I am sorry. If it was up to me, I wouldn't be leaving so soon. I wouldn't be leaving at all, if I could, but I have to."

"Why?" Nova asked. She sounded betrayed, as if I was abandoning them.

I wanted to tell them everything: that I was going to meet with a group of dwarves, that I was going to Erebor, the home of my nightmares, that I was going to help a hobbit steal from a dragon, and not just any dragon but _the _dragon. There was very little I wanted more than to confess all my worries and fear, but that would cause them unnecessary stress. I couldn't do that to them, so I told them the bare minimum.

"Gandalf has asked for my help in a matter of great importance. I promised him I would go, so that is what I will do." It wasn't a lie, which I refused to tell, but it wasn't the entire truth either. It was a small difference that did little to quell my guilt.

"What will we do without you?" Noa asked.

"You will all be fine. I have the utmost faith, especially after discovering how well the hunt went under Nova's leadership. I am certain that everything will go just as smoothly as if I were here and I will return before you know it."

The pack, somewhat satisfied with the answers I gave, settled down.

I went to sleep that night with a mind full of nightmares that plagued my every thought. They would only get worse in the coming months as I neared their source, but I owed Gandalf my help after everything he has done for me. When this ends and the beast is dead, maybe the nightmares will finally stop. One can only hope.

* * *

A/N

As always, please let me know if there are any mistakes or if Gandalf seems OOC. Please leave comments, especially if you have any questions!


End file.
